Atlantic City, New Jersey (AP) – Go to New Jersey’s High Stakes for a few weeks Governor’s raceleading members of the diverse coalition of Democrats, including unions and black leaders, have raised concerns, even if they are not supposed.
New Jersey Democratic Speaker Leroy Jones Jr. spoke about the recent Democratic National Committee conference call designed to project strength ahead of the fall election. But he concluded with a warning.
“We need to do better, not just as a black chair,” Jones said.
New Jersey Voters on November 4th Decide the election It has attracted strong interest from both major political parties and the White House. The race, along with the election of the Virginia governor, is seen as an early indication of how voters feel about the president. Donald Trump Republican leadership. Trump hopes that his victory over Democratic lawmaker Mikier Cheryl from Republican loyal Jacques Ciatareli will send a big message to the country that his GOP remains strong.
And as election day approaches, Trump and his allies are increasingly confident in the party’s outlook in New Jersey. Trump, who supported Ciattarelli, was optimistic about his bid in a social media post last week.
“Jack is tough on crime and tax cuts. Two things people really demand today. He’s going to be a great governor,” Trump wrote. Presidential visits have not been ruled out before Election Day, according to Trump’s allies.
Meanwhile, Democrat leaders are working to downplay racial expectations to take over Democrat government Phil Murphy, which will finish its second term at the end of the year. They are quick to note that Democrats have not won third consecutive governor elections in New Jersey since 1961.
New Jersey has certainly supported Democrats with presidential and US Senate races, but it has shaking between Republicans and Democrats in the odd year’s gubernatorial election. Four years ago, Murphy beat Chatterelli in a race that was more than expected, winning by around 3% points.
“The New Jersey Governor races are always very competitive,” said Meghan Meehan Draper, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association. “We’ve always known this is going to be a close race.”
The Democratic labor force is loose
Traditionally, organized labor has supported the Democrats. That’s not necessarily the case in the Trump era. This is a potential issue for Democrats in states that have one of the highest union memberships.
Abi Ortiz, the local president of the 61-year-old Teamster from southern New Jersey, said there has been a clear change among members to the GOP in recent years.
“I thought I wouldn’t see that,” said Ortiz, who started as a teamstar in 1987 as a UPS truck driver. “But now, what we’re doing is asking candidates to say, ‘What are you going to do for the working class?” ”
Democrat state Sen. John Bruzicelli said the loose grip on Democrat workers was a red flag. He said the way the issue goes, he said, is more conversations with members and voters.
“National Democratic brands that I don’t think are in a good place,” said Bruzicelli. “Getting support for (union) leadership is one thing, but gaining support for rank and file is another. They need to remind us that the party is different from the Kuomintang brand.”
And, as Democrats worry, there are signs that Ciattarelli is invading. Last week he won approval for Police Brothers Order, the state’s only major law enforcement union that supports the candidate so far. Ciattarelli is the first Republican to win union support in decades.
That’s despite Cheryl’s policy being largely consistent with the traditional interests of trade unions.
Cheryl was recently approved by the Teamsters Council, representing members of the Union’s southern New Jersey. In a speech before Atlantic City members last week, she said New Jersey would never be in a “workplace right” state with her surveillance, protecting her rights to collective bargaining and eliciting standing ovations from a ballroom filled with members. The “Right of Labor” Act prohibits businesses and unions from signing contracts that require workers to pay membership fees or fees to the union.
In an interview, Cheryl said he noted the importance of winning not only union officials, but also ranks and file members.
“We need a trade union to participate in this fight,” she said. “But it’s not enough to show leadership in the fight. We need people on the ground. That’s my job. Once I get the support I can continue to fight on earth.”
Is the support from black voters slipping?
Democrats are also concerned that more and more black voters, typically loyal Democrats, will either vote for or not appear to vote for Ciattarelli.
Sheryl wanted to increase support among black voters. This is the black Rev. Dale Caldwell as his running companion. Some local groups praised the move. Others said sharing tickets with black men may not be enough.
Rep. Shavonda Sumter, a Democrat from Northern New Jersey, has chaired the legislative Black Caucus and said he saw Cheryl’s outreach to black voters that have improved since the June primary.
She said Black voters want to hear plans to expand access to higher education and fill in more shares of state procurement contracts by black-owned businesses.
“I think it’s important that she reaches as many people as possible,” Sumter said. “People are listening to their voices and looking for them.”
Meanwhile, Ciattarelli is campaigning that is trying to reach most, if not all, of the state’s over 500 towns, including democratic trending regions with large black groups. For example, he visited a town with a predominantly black population this month.
Air Force veteran and recent Republican Congressional candidate Billy Prempe said he is talking to black voters who are beginning to become disillusioned with Democratic leaders.
He said Cheryl’s message largely denies state issues with Trump, but it’s not tied to Democrats the same as it had been in the past years.
“Trump is the president of the United States, but he hasn’t made daily decisions about what’s going on in New Jersey,” Prempe said.
“Whether they were against President Trump or are traditionally stubborn Democrats, many people who voted for Lockstep for Democrats said, “Well, what exactly did Democrats do to move the nation forward?”
